River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-07-21

/ tneul was atccpttA III INC huihc Vi tut
Association by Col. John Nj. Wander
see. of Philadelphia. Col. r. Penn
Smith. then ina very interesting speech,
turned over To the Memorial Associa-
ton the tablet of Cushing's battery
which was also received ~ Col. Van
derslice.
The crowd then moved near the IA
nous clump of trees where the Cowan'.
battery monument is erected. When
all was ready, Col. Andrew Cowan in
troduced Rev. JAS. X. Dickson, who
offered long and appropriate prayer.
Mrs. Pickett was there. assembled the
platform and Col Cowan. rising,
thanked her for her presence. and al
- welcomed the wife of the command
er Of the Philadelphia Brigade, whose
husband. "a years ago. then an Aid
I on Webb'S staff brought him the order
To place his guns where the monument
! now is. and whom he had not seen again
till last night. He then presented Hon.
| Serene +. Payne. as the orator. who
/ spoke for about 20 minutes.
Col. Cowan transferred the monu-
ment to the Memorial Association. in
whose behalf it was accepted by Capt.
;. {. Wagner Lieut.. VIM Sawyer.
on behalf of the battery. then thanked
Col. Cowan for his efforts To bring about
this dedication and make it a success.
SWORD RETURNED
Perhaps the most interesting incident
of the whole dedi alton was the presen-
tation by Col. Cowan to the Pickett
Division Association of a sword which
he took during Pickett famous charge.
Ii Is about three feet long, the handle
is of mother of pearl, and the blade of
finelv-polished steel The way il came
into the posse ssion of Col. Cowan
was this: During the charge a very
young Confederate officer jumped
toward the gun AT which he was stand
ing. but was Immediately shot down
and his sword fell AT the Colonel's feet.
He kept il, but has never been able TO
restore it TO the family of the officer.
and he has now given il 10 the divi-
sion in order that they may take
measures to see that it is returned TO
the proper persons. Maj. j. G. Crock
er. of Virginia, accepted il in the name
of the Pickett Division Association,
promising to 10 all that was possible to
find the family of the officer. Col. Cowan
then introduced Gen. Badly" Smith
and Gen. Hunt to the assembly, by
whom they were received with cheers.
Ii was hard to tell during the evening
which was the Philadelphia Brigade
and which the Pickett's Division; one
man who was supposed to be a Phila-
delphia man came down street with
Confederate badgeand canteen fastened
ON one side. blue badge on the other.
and a brigade hat set sideways on his
head. Veterans of the 69th regiment
entertained the Pickett men in a royal
way in the garden at their headquarters.
Refreshments flowed in profusion.
Speeches and songs filled the evening
Campfire Col. Aylett and Mai Ed
monson. of Virginia, gave expression in
eloquent language TO the fraternal feel
ing which pervades the mind of every
one of the Pickett men. Both speeches
We're received with applause of the
heartiest kind, showing that, as Col.
Aylett said, lasting peace will come
through the soldiers of both armies.
Both COnfcderates predicted that this
Reunion would be of untold worth in
giving the country lasting peace and
unity At the COwan dedication
resolution asking permission of the
Memorial Association for the Phila-
delphia Brigade to erect Il tablet where
Gen. Armistead fell, passed unanimous
".
At night some were in reality tent
ing on the old camp ground. on the
spot where they slept on their arms p
years ago. One hundred small and four
hospital tents had been put up at the
clumpoftrees. III Philadelphia Brigade
opened the Nations birthday with
grand display OF fireworks, literally
painting the town red. "
THE GLORIOUS FOURTH.
Early in the morning of the 4th the
members of Pickett Division proceed
ed TO the Courthouse and Were called
to order by Col. Aylett. Some one pro-
posed that Every member ofthc division
present should give % cents toward
paying the expense which Mrs. Pick
EFT incurred on this visit. The prop
osition was accepted with cheers, and
the way the money ratified on the Sec
retary's desk was a sufficient proof of
the esteem in which Mrs. Pickett is
held by the division. Resolutions were
adopted thanking the Philadelphia
Brigade for the hospitable manner in
which they had treated them, the town
authorities for the way they had receiv
ed them. their own officials for the troub-
lie and time they had given to bring
about this Reunion. and all soldiers for
their fraternal greeting. The meeting
then adjourned, and outside the build
ing they joined in procession with the
Philadelphia Brigade. With each
Pickett mans arm linked in that of a
Philadelphia, the line proceeded to
the Eagle Hotel, where the party took
carriages ard started over the battle
field In the first carriage were Mrs.
Gen. Pickett and her son George, Mrs.
Charles Banes, wife of the commander
of the Philadelphia Brigade. and Col
Bachelor. Fully 100 carriages were
in the line which wendell its way
through the dust of the Emmttsburg
road to the Spangler lane. Into this
they turned and proceeded past the
farmhouse to the rising ground beyond
MRS. PICKETT's RECEPTION.
Here all alighted and then the word
went round that Mrs Pickett was going
to hold a reception on the very ground
over which her husband command had
charged and within a few yards of the
+ woods under whose cover he, "A years
+ before. had formed his division. The
+ Pickett men were first formed in line and
! one by one advanced and were intro
duced to the wife of their old command
er by Col. Clopton, of Richmond, Va,
BY name. stating their regiment and
rank. She had a word for all and all
had a word for her The Philadelphia
Brigade was next presented. Her son,
George Pickett, stood AT her side and
when she cropped a hand it was at once
grasped by him.
Mrs. Pickett was the center of
attraction on the field She had gather
Ell some daisies and clover heads A
member of the brigade asked her for a
few. She gave them to him with a
smile. AID one bv one they We're given
away TO be treasured a. memeutoes. Her
autograph was also eagerly sou ht, and
she refused no one. George Pickett